1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to handgun finger groove adapters, and, in particular, to a thin walled finger groove adapter for mounting on the front strap of a handgun.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been many attempts to develop a variety of different grips for handguns for various purposes, such as, for instance, to provide cushion, to absorb shock, to increase the bulk of the gun handle, and the like. See, for example, the following U.S. Patents, Cupp U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,237, Pachmayr et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,066, and Pachmayr et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,024.
In particular, attempts have been made to provide separate, and sometimes integral, elastomeric finger grips to the front strap portion of the handle beneath the trigger of the gun. Raville U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,125 shows one such wrap around finger adapter without finger grip protrusions that is of substantial thickness. Leibowitz U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,367 shows a thick gel encapsulated grip having two recesses which the fingers of the user can grasp. Pearce U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,997 shows a thick finger adapter grip that is integral with side portion grips which is composed of an elastic material having horizontal finger grip protrusions for the purpose of adding bulk to the handle of a gun. Cupp U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,520 shows another finger adapter composed of an elastomeric material having finger grip protrusions in the wrap-around portion of the adapter. Pachmayr et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,401 shows still another finger adapter composed of an elastic material which engages a shoulder of the gun handle and is held in place with substantially rigid side grip panels.
Recently, and particularly in the area of law enforcement, individuals, who have hands smaller than average, have found a need for improved hand gun grips. These users, with smaller hands, desire comfortable accuracy enhancing hand grips which reduce the bulk of the gun handle yet provide the grip which is necessary for accuracy. However, grips which utilize elastomeric materials in order to provide better feel and accuracy, undesirably add bulk to the grip. This bulk is necessitated by the nature of the elastomeric material which, if made thin, is susceptible to movement, stretching or tearing during the normal wear and tear imposed on the gun. To reduce this problem the elastomeric material can be made thinner by selecting a material having a greater Shore hardness value, however, as the material is made harder, the desired non-slip feel of the grip is reduced.
Those concerned with these problems recognize the need for an improved finger groove adapter for hand guns that is extremely thin, very durable, and provides the comfort and utility afforded by the use of elastomeric materials. Also, the adapter must be easy to apply by hand.
None of the above patents disclose the structural features or advantages of the thin finger groove adapter according to the present invention. The thin finger groove adapter of the present invention can be produced with an extremely thin wall thickness of, for example, approximately 0.010 to 0.015 inches or less. This is to be compared to the typical thickness of about 0.0625 and greater, of other adapters. Finger groove adapters according to the present invention are extremely thin, very durable, easy to install, and are comfortable for handgun users who have small hands or desire less bulk. In addition, the unique manner in which the finger groove adapters of the present invention are produced is readily adapted to the production of a wide variety of finger groove adapters for different handguns using common adjustable tooling. It is thus possible to use substantially the same molds for different handgun models.